


Collapsed Building

by AHeartForStories



Series: AHeartForStories' Whumptober 2020 [5]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Concussions, Gen, Hiccup Whump, Tuffnut Whump, Whump, Whumptober 2020, Zombie Apocalypse, collapsed building, fishlegs whump, open wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26842477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AHeartForStories/pseuds/AHeartForStories
Summary: Written for Whumptober Day 5. Also takes place in my Httyd Zombie AU. Main fic to follow. Sometimes Hiccup's plans can get a little out of hand and when it does, sometimes his Riders can get into trouble for that. This time, it's Fishlegs and Tuffnut.
Relationships: Fishlegs Ingerman & Tuffnut Thorston, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Fishlegs Ingerman, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Toothless, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Tuffnut Thorston, Ruffnut Thorston & Tuffnut Thorston
Series: AHeartForStories' Whumptober 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949440
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	Collapsed Building

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as Fishlegs whump, but then suddenly Tuffnut got whumped, but then Hiccup demanded a scene... So three whumpees for one prompt! It's been fun!
> 
> Written for the prompts: "Failed escape" + "Rescue"
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated!  
> Enjoy!

At the same time, they hear the explosion going off, they can feel the whole building rumbling beneath their feet.

Fishlegs and Tuffnut don't know what exactly is happening downstairs on the ground floor, but when everything starts to crumble around them, they know at the very least that it's gone horribly wrong.

Hiding away from the Dragon Hunters, Fishlegs was hoping to take care of an injury, a nasty gash on a leg from a terrible fall combined with an unlucky landing. It's been bleeding quite profusely and his shoe and sock are both stained.

Tuffnut had found him and wanted to help him out. But then the explosion happens and the two know they need to run.

So Tuffnut pulls Fishlegs up to his feet and takes his weight upon his shoulders to the best of his ability.

"Come on, we can make this. We can make this, right?!" Tuffnut huffs and puffs, not quite as strong as his friend, but still attempting to carry him to safety.

They are trying to make it to the stairs while the floor is collapsing beneath them and the ceiling is caving in above them. Fishlegs still tries to make it on his own strength, but his leg hurts terribly and he needs Tuffnut to get out of this situation.

It is terrifying, they can feel their hearts pounding in their ears and the adrenaline threatening to slow them down. The floor and walls are rumbling and crumbling and their legs struggle to keep them up.

But they have to outrun the destruction, they have to somehow get to the ground floor from the fourth floor in time without getting hit or falling while the building shakes with such force as if an earthquake has taken hold of its foundations.

"There it is!" Fishlegs shouts, spotting the staircase down. But then part of the ceiling comes down and the two abruptly stop to not be flattened. The debris blocks their way down the stairs.

"No!"

"Oh no!"

"What do we do now?!" Tuffnut asks, gaze shooting into every possible direction to find another way out. Except, those stairs were the only ones off this level.

"I don't know, Tuff. I don't know!" Fishlegs answers, feeling the creeping dread and panic at the possibility that they may not be getting out of this predicament alive.

Another, fiercer rumbling comes following a second explosion and both Riders are thrown off their feet. Keeping their balance is impossible.

"Hey! Look here! Fishlegs, bro!" A familiar grating voice calls to them in urgency and they look over to the broken windows to find Ruffnut on top of Barf and Belch. Each head gurgles at Tuff to make him come running.

Without another word, they struggle back up to their feet and hurry over. Fishlegs hobbles over while Tuffnut runs. If they can just make it to Ruffnut and Barch, they'll be safe.

But just as they are about to reach the window, a large chunk falls and hits the male twin on the head.

"No, Tuff!"

"Tuffnut!"

Ruffnut and Fishlegs both shout as Tuffnut crumples to the floor unceremoniously. Blood immediately escapes the wound and stains his hair and the concrete floor.

Jumping off her head of the Zippleback, Ruffnut runs over, shielding her own head even though that will really do nothing against the falling debris.

"Get on the dragon, Fishlegs!" She shouts at her friend, who had collapsed onto the ground as well with his loss of support.

While he continues to Barf and Belch, getting up and dragging his injured leg, Ruff picks up her brother from the back, turning him onto his back, hooking her arms under his shoulders and wrapping a forearm of his around his middle for leverage before dragging him towards the open window.

She's in too much of a rush to do it carefully, but she manages to get him to the dragon. As Fishlegs gets on one head, she maneuvers Tuffnut up on Barch's back before getting on her head and together they escape. It is only seconds later that the entire fourth floor is gone.

* * *

Back at camp, the Dragon Riders are gathered around Tuffnut. He's lying on a sleeping bag with a pillow and his head wound bandaged up neatly.

"And he'll be okay, right?" Ruffnut asks Hiccup, who sits on a chair opposite to Fishlegs'. His foot is up on Hiccup's seat between his thighs as he works on disinfecting and stitching up the gash, his pant leg rolled up as far as it will go. His wound is deep enough to require stitches if they want to prevent an infection.

Pulled out of his concentration, Hiccup briefly looks up to her before returning to what he's doing.

"We won't know, Ruff. Not until he wakes up." Hiccup tells her and since it's been only an hour, Tuff's chances of being perfectly fine are still relatively high.

Ruffnut isn't too comforted by his answer, but she takes it knowing that it's a realistic one. She sits down on the sleeping bag next to Tuff, sighing. She draws her knees up and wraps her arms around them. Astrid kneels by her and places a hand on her shoulder.

Hiccup is quiet as he takes care off Fishlegs' leg, occasionally glancing the twins' way. There is a deep frown on his face and his vision is going blurry. He has to wipe at his eyes with his sleeves.

"Are you okay, Hiccup?" The man before him asks, noticing the watery eyes.

"I'm fine." Hiccup answers after swallowing the lump in his throat.

He finishes working on Fishlegs' injury and bandages it up. By then Tuffnut wakes up long enough for him to be hugged by his sister and be showered with well-wishes from the Dragon Riders. He's also diagnosed with an awful concussion, but he seems fine otherwise and all he needs is enough rest.

Good news for sure, but still one of the Dragon Riders quietly leaves the group after the most likely diagnosis is shared. He needs to be alone.

* * *

Hiccup feels like he can't breathe.

His friends had been in that building.

The one he wanted to blow up to be rid of this Dragon Hunter operation wasn't as empty as he thought it was. Fishlegs and Tuffnut were in there, one of them injured and the other simply trying to help him.

He nearly killed them. Two of his best friends, his only remaining loved ones that he swore to protect for as long as he may live. He nearly killed them with his own two hands.

This thought and the accompanying blame are too much for him to carry and he slides down the way as tears erupt from his eyes and sobs from his throat.

His knees are drawn up and his elbows rest on them as his hands grab a tight hold on his hair, just shy of pulling out actual clumps. He's so upset with himself, so angry.

How could he do that? They rely on him. On him! He can't make reckless mistakes such as this! If he doesn't step up soon, there will be no one left and he'll have failed as both a friend and a leader.

The other Dragon Riders watching over Tuffnut, it's Toothless who finds him sobbing all alone. He's made sure he was far away enough from the others to make sure they won't catch him in this state of mind. But Toothless is never far away, he can't hide these moments from him.

Cooing sadly at the state he finds his Rider in, the dragon invites himself into Hiccup's personal space and pushes his head into his arms, hoping to break him out of his little bubble of despair. It works and Hiccup throws his arms around the Night Fury's head, who lies down to let him keep his hold.

On his scales Hiccup cries and Toothless lets him, knowing that he needs to pour his heart out before he can return to the others and do what he is meant to do.


End file.
